Fjord's-what blankets/sheets fit?

[SLW]

@Fjordboycharlie

Bumping this thread!

This will be my first winter with my fjord; he came from southern Indiana and I am in the heart of the Lake Erie snow belt near Cleveland Ohio so he should be used to a cold winter. Our winters here lately have been very variable but snow, rain, and temps anywhere from negative Fahrenheit degrees with a windchill to normally in the 20’s/low 30’s BUT days in the 40’s and 50’s have not been uncommon the last few years either.

As I am planning to ride trails throughout the winter, I am considering a bib clip for him to provide some relief on warmer winter days, as he is a fluffy monster already and is sweating up at just a walk on trails in the 50 degree temps and he seems to breath a little heaver on the warmer days just in his stall.

I’m not a fan of blanketing unless necessary, but I have also never had a horse that required any clipping for the winter either. With a bib clip, would expecting not to have to blanket unless it’s maybe in the 20’s or below be a reasonable thought? And with just a lighter blanket for turnout? Any thoughts/recommendations would be much appreciated :winkgrin:

I was given a Fjord a few weeks back. I hear you about the fluff monster- mine too!I I just did a low trace clip on him because he’s being ridden to leg him up and he goes out hunting one day a week. I don’t anticipate blanketing him over the winter because a lot of the just clipped off hair will fill in enough before the worst of winter sets in. I do have a blanket I can put on him if he got wet and was shivering.

My guy is just the coolest equine I’ve had the pleasure to own. I describe him as a Jimmy Buffet personality in a Chris Farley body. Hope he looks a little more like a David Spade body after a few months of work.

[IronwoodFarm]

Congratulation on getting a FREE Fjord. The Fjord market is so tough that almost any Fjord is snapped up immediately. Far more demand than supply. I get 7 - 10 contacts a week seeking them. On blanketing, I don’t even when trace clipped. No need. These horses roll in the snow and love the cold. And yep, they are really cool equines to own. I have had them for 20 years now and don’t own anything else.

[SLW]

@IronwoodFarm

Congratulation on getting a FREE Fjord. The Fjord market is so tough that almost any Fjord is snapped up immediately. Far more demand than supply. I get 7 - 10 contacts a week seeking them. On blanketing, I don’t even when trace clipped. No need. These horses roll in the snow and love the cold. And yep, they are really cool equines to own. I have had them for 20 years now and don’t own anything else.

Are you serious- 7 to 10 contacts a week from buyers??? My guy is 18 years old and his circumstances are: the owner passed away 3 years ago. The surviving spouse developed a condition that did not allow her to keep the horse any longer so the adult children asked the trainer to rehome him. Evidently he’s floated through 2 or 3 places the past year landing at the small farm of a good friend this past March. She could no longer keep him so she gave me a ring saying “I’ve got a horse here that meets your requirements” and man she was right.

Good to know about the no need for blanketing with a trace clip, thank you!!

And I’m just putting 2 and 2 together. The Saturday I tried him out a lifelong friend from Culpeper called me to firm up her travel plans out here later this month. I told her about riding a Fjord that morning and she said “No way, guess where I was at noon today, at a Fjord Farm that was on a fall tour!” I’m guessing it was your farm she visited that day.

[msj]

I’m so glad this thread has taken off from last summer. All of us that have Fjord’s are really enjoying the wonderful disposition they have and sane temperment they have.

I’m turning 75 at the end of the month and the little guy I lease is 20. We only do walk trot as his canter is so heavy on the forehand and I no longer am a strong enough rider to deal with that. Due to balance problems and back issues I don’t ride him for a long time. Usually only about 10 minutes in the ring and then a short walk around the farm. I had read about how sane the breed is and when I discovered a neighbor had one I called her immediately. I love the fact that they are short and close to the ground, making getting off easier. Because of the balance issues I would get off 16 hand draft cross mare I’d been leasing from my trainer at the mounting block. With the Fjord it’s no problem.

I admit this guy isn’t perfect. So far in the 2 yrs. I’ve been riding him, he’s bucked 3 times. Just a single buck and then he walks on. The first time he bucked I thought it was because I was trying to get him to walk through a puddle. When we got back to the barn I noticed a small bloody spot on his flank where he’d been bitten by one of those green-headed flies. I forgave him immediately. He’s done maybe 4 spooks that amount to a single quick quarter turn and stop. Nothing serious yet and I doubt he’ll muster the energy to do more. We both enjoy the cooler fall weather.

I’ve seen a young rider this summer competing a Fjord mare at a local event in the Beginner Novice division. I chatted with her for a few minutes and hope to see her again next summer. I made sure to tell her how lucky she is to have such a sweet and sane ride and she agreed.

I hate driving and, of course with Covid now, travel isn’t encouraged, but I’d love to go see Ironwood’s farm with all the Fjords. It must be pure heaven to look out across the fields and see all of them. Maybe someday when Covid is no longer with us…

[FjordBCRF]

I really lucked out timing wise with mine! Well after i had bought him, the seller told me that there was another person interested in him but I offered money first. Someone also saw his sold ad and reached out and ended up buying his half sister even though she wasn’t up for sale yet. I just LOVE this breed. Charlie is three and a half and just a love bug. Everyone at our barn loves him and can’t believe how chill he is. I did a bib clip on him and he didn’t even flinch. We trail ride solo a lot, and often times bareback. He’s still experiencing new things as he’s so young, but other than an occasion “stops dead in his tracks” to check something out, he’s only really spooked once and to be fair, it was a fish jumping in the lake and it startled me too. I see the stubborn with our formal training, but he is very very willing and picks things up quickly. That stuff is still best in smaller doses.

I did end up buying one of those blanket system things for him (really my peace of mind) that has two extra inserts which I’m sure we will never need. We got a freebie cooler with it so here is some fjord tax with that and his clip! Glad to hear we shouldn’t need to worry about much, if anything at all with the blanketing!

[SLW]

@msj

I’m so glad this thread has taken off from last summer. All of us that have Fjord’s are really enjoying the wonderful disposition they have and sane temperment they have.

I’m turning 75 at the end of the month and the little guy I lease is 20. We only do walk trot as his canter is so heavy on the forehand and I no longer am a strong enough rider to deal with that. Due to balance problems and back issues I don’t ride him for a long time. Usually only about 10 minutes in the ring and then a short walk around the farm. I had read about how sane the breed is and when I discovered a neighbor had one I called her immediately. I love the fact that they are short and close to the ground, making getting off easier. Because of the balance issues I would get off 16 hand draft cross mare I’d been leasing from my trainer at the mounting block. With the Fjord it’s no problem.

I admit this guy isn’t perfect. So far in the 2 yrs. I’ve been riding him, he’s bucked 3 times. Just a single buck and then he walks on. The first time he bucked I thought it was because I was trying to get him to walk through a puddle. When we got back to the barn I noticed a small bloody spot on his flank where he’d been bitten by one of those green-headed flies. I forgave him immediately. He’s done maybe 4 spooks that amount to a single quick quarter turn and stop. Nothing serious yet and I doubt he’ll muster the energy to do more. We both enjoy the cooler fall weather.

I’ve seen a young rider this summer competing a Fjord mare at a local event in the Beginner Novice division. I chatted with her for a few minutes and hope to see her again next summer. I made sure to tell her how lucky she is to have such a sweet and sane ride and she agreed.

I hate driving and, of course with Covid now, travel isn’t encouraged, but I’d love to go see Ironwood’s farm with all the Fjords. It must be pure heaven to look out across the fields and see all of them. Maybe someday when Covid is no longer with us…

I feel the need to fix one thing for you. You shared “We only do walk trot as his canter is…”. I tip my hat to all 75 year old horsewomen who are still riding, never say “only”, you are riding at age 75!!! It’s wonderful that you are leasing a Fjord that is working out terrific for you. I’m a total new comer to the breed and for all around general riding these guys are off the charts fabulous.

[SLW]

@Fjordboycharlie

I really lucked out timing wise with mine! Well after i had bought him, the seller told me that there was another person interested in him but I offered money first. Someone also saw his sold ad and reached out and ended up buying his half sister even though she wasn’t up for sale yet. I just LOVE this breed. Charlie is three and a half and just a love bug. Everyone at our barn loves him and can’t believe how chill he is. I did a bib clip on him and he didn’t even flinch. We trail ride solo a lot, and often times bareback. He’s still experiencing new things as he’s so young, but other than an occasion “stops dead in his tracks” to check something out, he’s only really spooked once and to be fair, it was a fish jumping in the lake and it startled me too. I see the stubborn with our formal training, but he is very very willing and picks things up quickly. That stuff is still best in smaller doses.

I did end up buying one of those blanket system things for him (really my peace of mind) that has two extra inserts which I’m sure we will never need. We got a freebie cooler with it so here is some fjord tax with that and his clip! Glad to hear we shouldn’t need to worry about much, if anything at all with the blanketing!

Charlie is a handsome Fjord. Good luck moving forward with his training and work!

[msj]

@SLW

I feel the need to fix one thing for you. You shared “We only do walk trot as his canter is…”. I tip my hat to all 75 year old horsewomen who are still riding, never say “only”, you are riding at age 75!!! It’s wonderful that you are leasing a Fjord that is working out terrific for you. I’m a total new comer to the breed and for all around general riding these guys are off the charts fabulous.

SLW, That is very kind of you to say.

I lease the Fjord in the summer months as currently the farm owner has no indoor yet. In the winter, I go to my trainers barn, an event rider and previous USEA president, Carol Kozlowski. I 1/2 lease one of her horses, a sweet and kind draft cross mare at 16 hands that is lovely indoors, but not quite so outside. As I mentioned I use the mounting block to get off with her but I also do canter her but was never really comfortable doing so. To be honest, I rode her at walk and trot for a year before I asked Carol in a lesson, let me try her at a canter. She’s very heavy on the forehand but easy to get into a canter. But more important, Carol had a lovely Preliminary level mare, Liffey Star, that was retired from competition at 27 yrs that I would ride whenever I got the chance. I cantered her and more important would take a peaceful walk around Carol’s farm with her. Yes, she was beautifully trained but more important she was also only about 15.1 and I could get off her normally without a problem. But when Liffey was put down I stopped the canter all together. Yes, I’m proud that I am still riding but honestly just enjoy having a horse to groom and love on.

Yes, the little Fjord I ride, Kestral, is an absolute sweetheart and that’s putting it mildly. I feel blessed to ride him and just enjoy giving him about 15 minutes of hand grazing and brushing. I don’t know how many more years or even just months I’ll continue the actual riding, but just having a horse to love on is enough for me.

LOL Talk about a dottery old lady and her love of horses. LOL

[SLW]

@msj

SLW, That is very kind of you to say.

I lease the Fjord in the summer months as currently the farm owner has no indoor yet. In the winter, I go to my trainers barn, an event rider and previous USEA president, Carol Kozlowski. I 1/2 lease one of her horses, a sweet and kind draft cross mare at 16 hands that is lovely indoors, but not quite so outside. As I mentioned I use the mounting block to get off with her but I also do canter her but was never really comfortable doing so. To be honest, I rode her at walk and trot for a year before I asked Carol in a lesson, let me try her at a canter. She’s very heavy on the forehand but easy to get into a canter. But more important, Carol had a lovely Preliminary level mare, Liffey Star, that was retired from competition at 27 yrs that I would ride whenever I got the chance. I cantered her and more important would take a peaceful walk around Carol’s farm with her. Yes, she was beautifully trained but more important she was also only about 15.1 and I could get off her normally without a problem. But when Liffey was put down I stopped the canter all together. Yes, I’m proud that I am still riding but honestly just enjoy having a horse to groom and love on.

Yes, the little Fjord I ride, Kestral, is an absolute sweetheart and that’s putting it mildly. I feel blessed to ride him and just enjoy giving him about 15 minutes of hand grazing and brushing. I don’t know how many more years or even just months I’ll continue the actual riding, but just having a horse to love on is enough for me.

LOL Talk about a dottery old lady and her love of horses. LOL

I want to be just like you in 15 years when I am 75 years old.

[msj]

@SLW

I want to be just like you in 15 years when I am 75 years old.

Ah thanks so much!